This invention relates to a procedure for the molding of a succession of identical plastic parts in the form of a continuous web in which the parts are spaced from one another and secured to at least one continuous runner. The invention further relates to techniques for providing integral data storage on such continuous web which, among other things, may provide a stimulus to automatic assembly equipment to perform operations on the parts as, for example, severing the individual plastic parts from the web and positioning them into subassemblies to form composite products in an assembly line operation.
Automatic assembly line techniques for assembling a plurality of different components into a single composite product are well known. However, in most automatic assembly operations, it is very difficult to index and transport parts which are lightweight, and/or small, and/or have complex configurations. Plastic parts of this nature do not lend themselves to storage in hoppers, and thus present special problems in their transportation and use in automatic assembly operations, though the present invention is considered equally applicable to, and simplifies, the assembly of large parts. In addition, by the instant invention automatic operations may be "programmed" by waste product of a continuous web of molded plastic parts.